20
Chapter 20
The Annex next to the Academy's main building.
The place Nadia led them to was where the VIPs stayed.
As they opened the door, warm lights glowed on the walls. Several chairs were arranged around a long table.
The food hadn't arrived yet, but the aroma was already wafting through. Benny caught the scent and sniffed.
The VIPs had already arrived.
Esme. Garrett. Isael. Edouard.
Four people were in the room.
Nadia gestured toward Enoch's group.
"Everyone, we're here! Let me introduce you. This is Teacher Enoch, the person in charge of F Class, and these are the students, Benny and Edelyn."
Then she turned toward the VIPs.
"This is Archmage Esme of the Vermes Magic State, Sir Garrett Ironshield, the Knight Commander of the Phileon Kingdom, Isael, the representative of the Lucea Holy State, and Duke Edouard von Valois of the Elysia Empire."
The introductions were brief, but the sheer power behind those names was palpable.
Benny stiffened. Edelyn quietly bowed her head. Morse wore a fake smile. Sancta scanned the room with an indifferent air.
Esme spoke, leaning on her staff.
"Welcome."
That single phrase was the most valuable welcome in the room. No matter how brightly Nadia smiled or how kindly Isael spoke, they paled in comparison to Esme's welcome.
Edelyn looked at Esme, feeling the warmth of the welcome. She vividly recalled the sensation of the staff's tip touching the back of her head after the sparring match.
And that voice.
—Well done, child.—
Edelyn quietly lowered her gaze.
Isael spoke with a smile.
"Welcome, everyone. You were truly wonderful today."
"Thank you."
Edelyn answered softly.
Benny bowed without a word. Not knowing how to respond, his body had simply reacted first.
Isael smiled softly at the sight.
"Come and have a seat before the food arrives."
Edouard, who had been standing by the table, gave a slight nod toward Enoch's group. It was his own way of showing respect.
Garrett looked over at Enoch's party and walked toward Benny.
The moment Garrett entered his vision, Benny straightened his back.
Because a man over two hundred centimeters tall was heading straight for him.
The man who had suddenly stood up while he was sparring at the Academic Festival.
Benny remembered that face.
Garrett stopped in front of Benny.
And he held out his hand.
It was a handshake.
Benny looked at the hand and grasped it with a silly grin. Garrett's hand was far larger; Benny's was completely engulfed.
Garrett said nothing.
Benny, too, simply held the hand in silence.
A silent conversation passed between their joined hands.
Benny couldn't put it into words, but it felt good. It felt like he had been acknowledged.
Garrett withdrew his hand and spoke.
"We'll talk later."
A promise for the future.
Benny blinked and grinned.
"Yes. Sounds great!"
Isael wore a soft smile as she watched the silent conversation between them.
Edouard stood up and walked toward Enoch.
Enoch was looking at him, yet he wasn't really seeing.
Edouard.
Memories from before the regression.
When the Demon Realm Invasion was in full swing.
Edouard was exactly the same then: a human supremacist, a cold and flawless noble.
The night another frontline collapsed.
It was the day Edouard had stood before his own soldiers.
That gaze.
Enoch remembered it.
"You are Teacher Enoch, the person in charge of F Class, correct?"
Edouard asked, maintaining a polite demeanor.
Enoch didn't answer. He was still lost in his memories.
The image of Edouard's face from the past overlapped with the present before fading away.
Edouard's eyebrow twitched slightly.
'Ignoring me?'
That was how he read the silence. To Edouard von Valois, in this setting.
Edouard's expression began to harden coldly.
"Please don't misunderstand."
Morse stepped forward, her voice laced with anxiety. She had noticed Edouard's expression darkening.
Edouard looked at Morse.
"Our teacher does this often."
Morse continued calmly.
"He has a habit of getting lost in thought. He wasn't ignoring you; he simply didn't hear you."
She didn't look like she was lying. Rather, she looked as if she were accustomed to this.
Edouard's expression slowly relaxed. It wasn't a complete thaw, but the chill had vanished.
Then, he spoke to Morse.
"And who are you?"
Nadia clapped her hands lightly upon hearing this.
"Oh! I forgot the introductions."
Nadia looked at Enoch.
Enoch realized that Edouard was waiting for an answer. His vision snapped back into focus.
"My apologies."
There were no excuses. It was a brief apology, but it was enough.
Edouard shook his head.
Enoch gestured toward Morse and Sancta.
"This is my assistant, Morse. And beside her is her younger sister, Sancta."
Morse bowed naturally.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Duke."
Edouard observed Morse for a moment before giving a short nod.
Sancta said nothing. Her sharp eyes glanced at Edouard once before turning toward Isael.
Isael smiled softly when she locked eyes with Sancta.
Sancta didn't react to the smile. She soon looked away.
"Two more people have been added to today's meal."
Nadia said brightly.
"The more the merrier!"
Edouard scanned Morse once more before returning to his seat.
Everyone took their seats.
Edelyn sat next to Enoch, stealing a glance at Esme before looking down.
While Morse was looking for a spot, Sancta sat next to Benny.
Once the seats were filled, the door opened.
The dishes began to arrive. The scent of spices filled the room.
Benny's eyes widened.
"Meat——!!!"
— Slam
The door opened once again.
It was Lionel.
And beside him.
Benny stopped mid-sentence.
The atmosphere in the room shifted the moment she entered.
Her platinum blonde hair shimmered smoothly. Purple eyes quietly scanned the room. The moment the door opened, a lavender scent dominated the air.
A silent grace. Every step was polished and refined.
Nadia was the first to speak.
"Oh, you've arrived!"
Benny grabbed Sancta's arm and said,
"Sancta."
Sancta looked at Benny.
"Isn't she absolutely gorgeous?!"
His voice was louder than intended. A few people glanced at Benny. Isael and Nadia chuckled, finding it cute.
Sancta looked at Vivianne. After watching her for a moment, she slowly nodded.
Edelyn placed a hand over her mouth. Her beauty was breathtaking.
Morse, standing beside her, whispered,
"Wow... I've never seen anyone like her..."
Morse took in Vivianne's appearance once more.
Enoch was looking toward the door. Then, he shifted his gaze to the food.
Lionel stepped into the room and gestured.
"Allow me to introduce her. The treasure of the Mabil Kingdom, my niece, Princess Vivianne de Mabil."
There was an unmistakable pride in his voice.
Garrett frowned.
"Here we go again."
He flicked an eyebrow, looking exhausted.
Vivianne bowed politely to Garrett.
"My apologies, Sir Ironshield. My uncle is always in your debt."
Garrett gave a short shake of his head, indicating it was fine.
Lionel introduced the VIPs to Vivianne.
"From the left, we have Archmage Esme, First Apostle Isael, Duke Edouard, and Merchant Guild Leader Nadia."
Lionel greeted them after finishing the introductions.
"Have you been waiting long?"
"Not that long."
Esme spoke, tapping her staff once.
Nadia approached Vivianne.
"It's a pleasure! I'm Nadia al-Harim. It's my first time meeting you."
"I am Vivianne de Mabil. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Vivianne smiled at Nadia. It was a perfect, seamless smile.
Her purple eyes scanned the room once more, checking for those she needed to greet.
Esme. Isael. Edouard. And several unfamiliar faces.
Her gaze shifted.
And then it stopped.
It was him.
The man she had encountered at the Academy.
She remembered when they had collided at a corner and how he had passed her by indifferently.
It was a brief meeting, but his face had remained etched in her mind.
Following that encounter, a barrage of tight schedules and meetings had followed.
Yet, even amidst her duties, her senses were entirely focused on one person.
Every time she passed through a hallway or turned a corner, she searched for him, hoping he might be there.
When her efforts proved fruitless, she eventually decided to give up.
She thought she would never see him again.
But there he was, sitting at the table.
Enoch didn't spare Vivianne a glance. He was looking at the food.
In truth, he wasn't even looking at the food. Enoch was lost in thought.
He had the same expression when they collided in the hallway.
'...Why is he here?'
Vivianne stared intently at Enoch.
Eyes that seemed to look somewhere far away. A man who felt like he was in a different world, even in a room full of VIPs.
That expression only made her more curious about him.
Since a few days ago.
Until now.
Just then, Enoch shifted his gaze.
He scanned the room once, his eyes passing over Vivianne.
His gaze did not stop.
Vivianne was aware of this, yet her heart began to race.
It was the first time she realized her heart could beat so fast.
'I finally found you.'
Vivianne's face flushed noticeably.
Lionel, observing her expression, asked in a low voice.
"So, what do you think of my special guest?"
Vivianne wore a lingering smile.
And then, she whispered affectionately.
"I like him... very much."